Boundaries of Middle-Class Identities in Turkey

The aim of this paper is to provide an analytical account of the diversity within middle-class identities in Turkey by drawing on an inductive and interview-based investigation of boundary-making processes. Inspired by Lamont's framework, it explores the nature and content of drawn symbolic boundaries and relates the causes of the observed variations to the rapid changes in Turkey's socio-economic structure. The research challenges the homogeneous and strictly hierarchical reading of class/cultural distinctions as it demonstrates the existence of horizontal tensions and culturally inclusive middle-class repertoires. The analysis unpacks the material basis of differentiation and highlights the most significant factors in strengthening or weakening cultural boundaries in the Turkish case: mobility profiles into middle-class positions, composition of overall capital and the sector of employment. The paper contributes both to the growing interest in divergent manifestations of class distinction in non-Euro-American national contexts and to our understanding of middle-class cultures in Turkey.